Interested in this AI/ML Engineer role at State of Illinois?
Apply Now →About This Role
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We continually strive for a workforce that reflects the growing diversity within the State of Illinois. A variety of employee backgrounds, perspectives, ideas and experiences are crucial to our ability to most effectively serve the public. Bilingual skills welcome
Reasonable Accommodation Statement
The State of Illinois is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Further, federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, interview for a job, or for any other activity related to the hiring process. Examples of reasonable accommodation include, but are not limited to, making a change to the application process (if possible), providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.
To be provided a Reasonable Accommodation during the hiring process, you will need to provide a certification of disability from a physician, psychiatrist, school official or an Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor. Supporting documentation should be uploaded under My Documents Additional Documents section for each application.
Any questions on Reasonable Accommodations can be directed to Central Management Services Disability Resource Center at [email protected] or call (217\) 524\-7514 for further information and to request or discuss an accommodation.
Sponsorship for Employment
The State of Illinois does not provide sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g. H\-1B visa status), nor is the State able to provide extensions of optional practical training (OPT) under the STEM\-designated degree program for F\-1 students. To be considered for permanent employment with the State of Illinois, applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full\-time basis.
Disclosure of Salary Information
In compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, 820 ILCS 112/1 et seq., the State does not seek, request, or require a job applicant’s wage or salary history. Employment decisions are not made based on an applicant’s wage or salary history. To that end, please do not include wage or salary information in your resume or other profile or application materials.
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Date: Jul 8, 2026
Location:
Chicago, IL, US, 60661
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Job Requisition ID: 57379
Job Requisition ID: 57379
Opening Date: 07/08/2026
Closing Date: 07/22/2026
Agency: Department of Innovation and Technology
Class Title: SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMIN (40070\)
Skill Option: Management Information System/Data Processing/Telecommunications
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary: $160,000\-$200,000/Annually
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
County: Cook; Sangamon
Number of Vacancies: 1
Bargaining Unit Code: None
Merit Comp Code: Excluded \- Subject to Paragraph (1\), (2\), (3\), or (6\) of Section 4d of the Personnel Code
A resume is highly encouraged to evaluate your qualifications and skills as part of your application. Please attach a DETAILED Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the MY DOCUMENTS section of your application if you decide to provide one.
Why Work for Illinois? Working with the State of Illinois is a testament to the values of compassion, equity, and dedication that define our state. Whether you’re helping to improve schools, protect our natural resources, or support families in need, you’re part of something bigger—something that touches the lives of every person who calls Illinois home. No matter what state career you’re looking for, we offer jobs that fit your life and your schedule—flexible jobs that provide the gold standard of benefits. Our employees can take advantage of various avenues to advance their careers and realize their dreams. Our top\-tier benefits and great retirement packages can help you build a rewarding career and lasting future with the State of Illinois.
Are you looking for a rewarding career with an organization that values their staff? The Department of Innovation \& Technology (DoIT) is seeking to hire qualified candidates with the opportunity to work in a dynamic, creative thinking, problem solving environment. This position serves as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), acting as the Agency’s principal executive and policy\-making official for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The successful incumbent will stay abreast of the most recent developments in AI/ML to develop and implement an AI roadmap, catalog algorithms, and coordinate with key stakeholders. This position will also draft and ensure compliance with AI/ML standards. The CAIO will lead the strategic adoption and responsible deployment of AI/ML across DoIT’s statutory agencies, driving innovation, enhancing public services, and ensuring the ethical use of these technologies. The CAIO will establish and lead a new Office of the CAIO, building a center of excellence that will define and execute the State's comprehensive AI strategy. If you possess these knowledges, skills, abilities, and experience, we invite you to apply for this position to join the DoIT Team!
As a State of Illinois employee, you receive a comprehensive benefits package including:
Competitive Group Insurance benefits including health, life, dental and vision plans
Flexible work schedules (when available and dependent upon position)
10 \-25 days of paid vacation time annually (10 days for first year of state employment)
12 days of paid sick time annually which carryover year to year
3 paid personal business days per year
13\-14 paid holidays per year dependent on election years
12 weeks of paid parental leave
Pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System
Deferred Compensation Program – voluntary supplemental retirement plan
Optional pre\-tax programs \-Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) \& Dependent Care Assistant Plan (DCAP)
Tuition Reimbursement Program and Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility
For more information regarding State of Illinois Benefits follow this link: https://www2\.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx
Essential Functions
Subject to administrative approval and reporting to the Deputy Secretary, serves as Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT)’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), acting as the Agency’s principal executive and policy\-making official for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
Inventories, classifies, and maintains line\-of\-sight over AI/ML algorithms in use by DoIT and the agencies referenced in DoIT’s enabling Act, including the use of those algorithms by agency\-contracted vendors.
Serves as official agency spokesperson and subject matter expert (SME) on behalf of the DoIT Deputy Secretary to internal and external entities, including all client agencies, on AI and ML matters and policies.
Develops and implements DoIT’s Artificial Intelligence Roadmap to align DoIT’s use of AI/ML with its strategic priorities, security needs, values, and opportunities.
Coordinates with a wide array of key stakeholders to ensure broad alignment and responsible AI/ML adoption across the State, including AI trends, risks, and opportunities.
Directs and leads the State's commitment to Responsible AI by developing, communicating, and enforcing a unified set of AI/ML standards and policies across DoIT’s statutory agencies and in collaboration with relevant DoIT counterparts.
Serves as full line supervisor.
Keeps abreast of new developments in the information technology field by continuing education through online training platforms, meetings, training sessions, seminars, and conferences to increase familiarity with and remain current on products, vendors, techniques, and procedures.
Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.
Minimum Qualifications
Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four (4\) years of college with coursework in Management Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science, or directly related field.
Requires prior experience equivalent to four (4\) years of progressively responsible management experience in a large information technology organization in a public or business organization.
Requires four (4\) years of professional experience in policymaking, strategic planning, and IT solutioning for large scale computer systems and platforms.
Requires three (3\) years of professional experience supervising a team of Information Technology professionals in a large and highly complex public or private IT organization.
Preferred Qualifications
Three (3\) years of professional experience establishing and maintaining governance frameworks for ethical AI development, deployment, monitoring, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Three (3\) years of professional experience in developing, implementing, and interpreting departmental policies and procedures to support enterprise AI adoption.
Two (2\) years of professional experience developing AI or ML algorithms.
Three (3\) years of professional experience developing and leading AI/ML strategies, roadmaps, or initiatives, including aligning emerging technologies with organizational priorities and measurable performance outcomes.
Three (3\) years of professional experience overseeing risk management protocols for AI/ML systems, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks such as algorithmic bias, privacy breaches, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and unintended consequences.
Three (3\) years of professional experience leading and managing large, diverse IT teams, including setting goals, mentoring staff, evaluating performance, and managing relationships with cross\-functional stakeholders to drive organizational objectives.
Three (3\) years of professional experience coordinating with cross\-functional stakeholders (e.g., Security, Legal, Data, Infrastructure, Applications) to implement AI/ML initiatives that support data modernization and AI readiness.
Three (3\) years of professional experience developing and implementing long\-term IT strategies, including researching emerging technologies, assessing feasibility, and recommending solutions to achieve strategic organizational goals.
Developed verbal and written communication skills to clearly and effectively present complex technical information to diverse audiences, including technical teams, executives, and non\-technical stakeholders.
Conditions of Employment
All applicants must be able to meet the following Conditions of Employment with or without reasonable accommodation, to be considered for this position. The State of Illinois complies with federal and state disability laws and will make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.
Requires the ability to verify identity.
Requires employment authorization to accept permanent full\-time position with State of Illinois.
Requires the ability to pass a position specific, agency required background check and requires self\-disclosure of criminal history.
Requires the ability to travel in performance of duties.
Requires the ability to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, short notice, evening, weekends, and holidays.
Requires the ability to serve in an on\-call capacity.
Requires the ability to lift and carry objects or equipment weighing up to 10 pounds. This is considered sedentary work as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor (20 CFR 404\.1567(a)). Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and requires occasional lifting, carrying, walking, and standing.
Requires adherence to the revolving door restrictions outlined in 5 ILCS 430/5\-45\. Consequently, employees should be aware that in the event of receiving a non\-State employment offer during state employment or within one year immediately following the termination of State employment, they are required to inform the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies (OEIG) of the Illinois Governor before accepting such non\-State employment. Failure to notify the OEIG may result in the imposition of a fine.
Requires compliance with the provisions outlined in section 4A\-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, necessitating the occupant of this position to file of a Statement of Economic Interest. Pursuant to the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.), specific state officials and employees are required to annually submit Statements of Economic Interest to the Office of the Secretary of State, which will be accessible to the public for examination and copying. Employees subject to this requirement must also file a Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission, as specified in Executive Order 15\-09\. Failure to submit these statements in a timely manner may result in fines and penalties.
The conditions of employment listed are incorporated and/or related to any duties included in the position description.
Work Hours: Monday\-Friday 8:30am\-5:00pm
Headquarter Location: 555 W Monroe St, Chicago, Illinois, 60661 OR 120 W. Jefferson St. Springfield, IL 62702
Work County: Cook or Sangamon
Agency Contact: Brittany Vespa
Email: [email protected]
Posting Group: Leadership \& Management
The Department of Innovation \& Technology (DolT) is the state's IT agency delivering an enterprise approach to statewide technology, innovation and telecommunication services, as well as policy and standards development, lifecycle investment planning, and cybersecurity services. With over 1,500 employees, DolT delivers IT services and innovative solutions to customer agencies to improve services provided to Illinois residents, DolT offers employees the opportunity to advance their careers, develop new skills and reach their potential, both personally and professionally. DoIT is committed to promoting and preserving a workplace culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. We welcome and value employees with different backgrounds, life experiences and talents. It is the collective sum of our individual differences that provides a broad perspective, leading to greater innovation and achievement. In recruiting for our team, we recognize the unique contributions of each applicant regardless of culture, ethnicity, race, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, disability, and sexual orientation.
Revolving Door: Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5\-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non\-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non\-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (“OEIG”) or may be subject to a fine.
Statement of Economic Interests: This position is subject to Statement of Economic Interests filing as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act.
The main form of communication will be through email. Please check your “junk mail”, “spam”, or “other” folder for communication(s) regarding any submitted application(s). You may receive emails from the following addresses:
donotreply@SIL\-P1\.ns2cloud.com
systems@SIL\-P1\.ns2cloud.com
Nearest Major Market: Chicago
Salary Context
This $160K-$200K range is above the median for AI/ML Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $180K across 1841 roles with salary data).
View full AI/ML Engineer salary data →Role Details
About This Role
AI/ML Engineers build and deploy machine learning models in production. They work across the full ML lifecycle: data pipelines, model training, evaluation, and serving infrastructure. The role has evolved significantly over the past two years. Where ML Engineers once spent most of their time on model architecture, the job now tilts heavily toward inference optimization, cost management, and integrating LLM capabilities into existing systems. Companies want engineers who can ship production systems, and the experimenter-only role is fading fast.
Day-to-day, you're writing training pipelines, debugging data quality issues, setting up evaluation frameworks, and figuring out why your model performs differently in staging than it did on your dev set. The best ML engineers are obsessive about reproducibility and measurement. They instrument everything. They know that a model is only as good as the data feeding it and the infrastructure serving it.
Across the 3,708 AI roles we're tracking, AI/ML Engineer positions make up 70% of the market. At State of Illinois, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Demand for AI/ML Engineers has been strong and consistent. Unlike some AI roles that spike with hype cycles, ML engineering is a foundational need. Every company deploying AI models needs people who can keep them running, and the gap between research prototypes and production systems keeps growing.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week might include: debugging a data pipeline that's silently dropping 3% of training examples, running A/B tests on a new model version, writing documentation for a feature flag system that lets you roll back model deployments, and reviewing a junior engineer's PR for a new evaluation metric. Meetings tend to be cross-functional since ML touches product, engineering, and data teams.
Demand for AI/ML Engineers has been strong and consistent. Unlike some AI roles that spike with hype cycles, ML engineering is a foundational need. Every company deploying AI models needs people who can keep them running, and the gap between research prototypes and production systems keeps growing.
Skills in Demand for This Role
Python and PyTorch dominate the requirements. Most roles expect experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and familiarity with ML frameworks like TensorFlow or JAX. RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) has become a top-3 skill requirement as companies integrate LLMs into their products. Docker and Kubernetes show up in about a third of postings, reflecting the production focus of the role.
Beyond the core stack, employers increasingly want experience with experiment tracking tools (MLflow, Weights & Biases), feature stores, and vector databases. Fine-tuning experience is valuable but less common than you'd think from reading Twitter. Most production LLM work is RAG and prompt engineering, not fine-tuning. If you have both, you're in a strong position.
Companies that are serious about AI/ML hiring tend to post specific infrastructure details in the job description: the frameworks they use, their model serving stack, their data pipeline tools. Vague postings that just say 'ML experience required' without specifics are often companies that haven't figured out what they need yet.
Compensation Benchmarks
AI/ML Engineer roles pay a median of $218,750 based on 3,817 positions with disclosed compensation. C-Level-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $250,000. This role's midpoint ($180K) sits 18% below the category median. Disclosed range: $160K to $200K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($300,000) and Research Engineer ($280,000). By seniority level: Entry: $120,000; Mid: $200,000; Senior: $230,000; Director: $272,150; VP: $250,000.
State of Illinois AI Hiring
State of Illinois has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across AI/ML Engineer. Based in Chicago, IL, US. Compensation range: $200K - $200K.
Location Context
AI roles in Chicago pay a median of $205,100 across 97 tracked positions. That's 6% below the national median.
Career Path
Common paths into AI/ML Engineer roles include Data Scientist, Software Engineer, Research Engineer.
From here, career progression typically leads toward ML Architect, AI Engineering Manager, Principal ML Engineer.
The fastest path into ML engineering is through software engineering with a self-directed ML education. A CS degree helps, but production engineering skills matter more than academic credentials. Build something that works, deploy it, and measure it. That portfolio project is worth more than a Coursera certificate. For career growth, the fork comes around the senior level: go deep on technical complexity (staff/principal track) or move into managing ML teams.
What to Expect in Interviews
Expect system design questions around ML pipelines: how you'd build a training pipeline for a specific use case, handle data drift, or design A/B testing infrastructure for model deployments. Coding rounds typically involve Python, with emphasis on data manipulation (pandas, numpy) and algorithm implementation. Take-home assignments often ask you to build an end-to-end ML pipeline from raw data to deployed model.
When evaluating opportunities: Companies that are serious about AI/ML hiring tend to post specific infrastructure details in the job description: the frameworks they use, their model serving stack, their data pipeline tools. Vague postings that just say 'ML experience required' without specifics are often companies that haven't figured out what they need yet.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,708 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 102 entry-level, 1,705 mid-level, 1,469 senior, and 432 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 14% of the market (508 positions). The remaining 3,180 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($300,000 median, 21 roles); Research Engineer ($280,000 median, 147 roles); AI Architect ($254,798 median, 67 roles).
Demand for AI/ML Engineers has been strong and consistent. Unlike some AI roles that spike with hype cycles, ML engineering is a foundational need. Every company deploying AI models needs people who can keep them running, and the gap between research prototypes and production systems keeps growing.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,708 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,605), Data Scientist (310), AI Software Engineer (259). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (102) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,705) and senior (1,469) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 432 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 14% of all AI roles (508 positions), with 3,180 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $217,500. Top-quartile roles start at $272,100, and the 90th percentile reaches $325,000. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $300,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,890 postings), Aws (1,103 postings), Azure (877 postings), Rag (855 postings), Gcp (631 postings), Prompt Engineering (560 postings), Pytorch (545 postings), Claude (498 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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